Vampire (BBC)
For the SyFy remake's version of Vampires, see Vampire (Syfy) Vampires (classified Type 2) are post-Human supernatural beings who are cursed with a constant craving to kill and drink the blood of Humans. Some Vampires choose to fight this urge and avoid feeding, however the majority choose to kill and feed as they please. Vampirism is passed on when a Human is bitten and fed on by a Vampire and then drinks the Vampire's blood, in a process known as recruiting. When this happens, the person becomes immortal and cannot die naturally, however he or she will be cursed with a constant thirst for Human blood. Although Vampires can give up blood, this is extremely difficult. Normally, Vampires are indistinguishable from Humans, but when thirsty or showing aggression, a set of fangs emerge from the gums above their canines and slide down in front of them, while their eye pupils dilate until the eyes appear completely black; a process which Hal Yorke called "manifesting." The only known method of curing Vampirism is by destroying the Devil, though the only known example of this "cure" was shown to be an illusion. History The Vampire race apparently started circa 1000 BC or earlier, when two brothers in Asia made a pact with the Devil (eternal life in exchange for the consumption of blood) and became the first Vampires. (Eve of the War) It has been speculated that Mr. Snow may have been one of these original two Vampires (due to Snow's great age and Hal Yorke's statement that Mr. Snow was one of the first Vampires), but some have discredited this (as Mr. Snow was Caucasian, whereas the original two Vampires were mentioned by Regus as being Asian). The ancestors of modern-day Vampires were strictly nocturnal, only emerging under the cover of darkness. This is why some modern day Vampires are greatly irritated when exposed to excess sunlight. It is also known that the records of five dreams which the original two Vampires had upon first drinking blood became the sources of all the Vampires' myths and legends. (Eve of the War) Humans seemed to have been aware of Vampires up until around the 1600s - 1700s. Anyone accused of Vampirism was imprisoned in underground prisons away from normal society. In 1665, a mass cull of Vampires was arranged in Bristol, and all known Vampires were exterminated. It has since been presumed that the history of Vampires has been covered up and disguised as a myth, making present-day Humans unaware of their existence. Vampires were then forced to lead double lives as Humans to avoid persecution. The first Vampire to do this was Richard Turner, who moved to Bristol in 1630. Despite killing over 1,000 people, Turner was a highly respected figure and even ran for parliament. Turner's move to Bristol caused a mass migration of Vampires to the city, making it the heart of the British Vampire community. As the centuries progressed, Vampires became more concerned about their existence being discovered. Modern-day Vampires usually had communities disguised as abandoned businesses, where they met and arranged killings. Many Vampires were situated in positions of high authority, such as the police. These Vampires were consulted to cover up any killings with false stories. Usually, a Human coroner was blackmailed into confirming the cause of death as an accident or suicide. In 2009, William Herrick planned a Vampire takeover of the earth in which all of Humanity would be either recruited or farmed for blood, and Vampires established as the new dominant species. Although his plan almost succeeded, Herrick was killed by the transformed Werewolf George Sands, and his death effectively halted the plans for a Vampire takeover. (Series 1) A notable incident in which the Vampires' identity was nearly revealed to Humans was in 2010, when Vampires John Mitchell and Daisy Hannigan-Spiteri killed twenty train passengers in Bristol in what was known as the Box Tunnel 20 Massacre. Mitchell was later arrested after an investigation into the murders and was brought to a local police department where his picture was taken. As a Vampire's image cannot be captured, Mitchell's identity was discovered, and Vampires were exposed. However, Mitchell was later rescued by Vampire William Herrick, who murdered all those who had discovered Vampires' existence. The story was later covered up by Edgar Wyndham, and the Vampires returned to their unknown existence. (The Wolf-Shaped Bullet) A matter of months following this incident, the Old Ones began to plan to start a war between Vampires and Humanity over the earth, and travelled from Bolivia to Barry Island for this planned war. However, the Old Ones were wiped out by Annie Sawyer in an explosion at the warehouse where they were located, destroying the Vampires' plans for a war against humanity, (The War Child) and leaving the Vampire world leaderless and vulnerable to manipulation by others such as the Department of Domestic Defence. (The Trinity) Alternate timeline In an alternate timeline where the Old Ones weren't killed in the early 2010s and their plans to take over the earth from Humanity weren't stopped, the Vampires began attacking Humanity and taking over nations, until eventually they took control over the earth and formed a Nazi-like regime. The Vampires also fought against a Human-Werewolf resistance for control of the earth in the aftermath of the Vampire takeover, and the Vampires seemed to have the upper-hand in the war and take numerous resistance territories. (Eve of the War, Making History, The War Child) Characteristics Infection , a Vampire turned in 1917.]]Vampires reproduce by turning Humans into new Vampires in a process known as recruiting; when a Human is on the point of death (from either being bitten and fed on by a Vampire, or by conventional means such as blood loss and blunt force trauma), the Human must be fed the blood of a Vampire. A single drop of Vampire blood is enough to begin the conversion process from Human to Vampire. The person is then clinically dead for a matter of hours. During this time, they have visions of the Men with Sticks and Rope, which is very traumatic for them. Upon awakening, the person is a new Vampire. The person's blood pressure will drop and their heart rate will slow down to approximately one beat per minute (which will in turn cause the newly-turned Vampire to initially feel nauseous), and they will feel an immediate craving for blood. From this point on, the Vampire's body will not age, and will retain the appearance it had on the day of recruitment. Vampires are apparently capable of living forever if not killed. Behaviour After being recruited, at least some aspects of a Vampire's mind will also stay at the level of maturity it was on the day he or she was bitten for a while. For example, the Vampire Adam Jacobs, despite being forty-six, behaved like an adolescent, as he was recruited when he was sixteen; and Hetty, who was recruited at a very young age but was nearly 470, apparently still liked to draw ponies. The Vampire's condition and/or their bloodlust will usually also have strong effects on and cause large alterations to their personality, usually in that the Vampire will lose most or all of their empathy for Humans and respect for Human life, and will become highly vicious, violent and sadistic after first feeding off a Human victim. (The Trinity) However, some Vampires can regain their morals and respect for life after a considerable amount of time, and attempt to fight their bloodlust and become clean of blood; although according to Nick Cutler, if and when a Vampire spends a great enough length of time endlessly killing and feeding, regaining their empathy and morals will become psychologically impossible. (Making History) It is common for a new Vampire's infector to look after and care for the new Vampire. For example, the Vampires William Herrick and John Mitchell kept a close partnership for over fifty years after Herrick recruited Mitchell during the First World War, and the fact that Mitchell did not do this for Lauren Drake, a Vampire he infected, was seen as harsh, and poor form by Herrick. Diet Normally, unless they have rejected and overcome their bloodlust, Vampires regularly consume large quantities of Human blood. However, Vampires can still survive without blood, and can consume other, Human foods such as cereal. An absence of blood in the diet of Vampires is not fatal, although they will have an intense craving for it. This craving has been shown to cause extreme pain and cramps, and seems to be far worse than the withdrawal symptoms caused by addiction to any other substance. It does not seem to be the blood itself that quenches the Vampires' thirst, but the life that is drained from the Human. It has been shown that blood older than a few hours has little effect on satisfying a Vampire's hunger, and is not seen as a viable alternative. Biology A Vampire's normal heart rate is only one beat per minute, although it would appear that they can cause their heart to beat faster in order to mimic a human heartbeat. When Mitchell was hospitalised after being attacked by Herrick, doctors could not initially find his heartbeat when they were trying to operate on him. When he was later shown in bed and hooked up to a heart monitor, the machine was bleeping in a regular rhythm, as would be expected of a Human. This would imply that Vampires can learn to control their heart rate to some extent. (Bad Moon Rising) Appearance Vampires are usually physically indistinguishable from Humans, and each Vampire always appears identical to how they did on the day they were recruited, regardless of their age. However, when a Vampire is aggravated or about to attack, they will "manifest"; their eyes will turn all-jet-black, and their canine teeth will become fangs. "Old Nick's Wink" A Vampire's image cannot be captured by any sort of film, camera or mirror (although their reflection can be seen in other reflective surfaces - it is just mirrors they cannot be reflected in). According to Hal Yorke, this is because the Devil takes each Vampire's reflection as a way of reminding them that their souls belong to him due to the pact with the Devil from which the Vampire race started, and Vampires jokingly call their lack of reflection "Old Nick's Wink". In actuality this can be either a strength or a weakness depending on the situation; a strength, in that their image cannot be traced photographically through the ages, but a weakness, as it can reveal them in situations in which a mirror image or photograph is expected, such as a photographic ID card. Therefore, the Vampire society holds it as a top priority that Vampires are not arrested after killing their victims, as police mug shots taken would reveal the Vampire race's existence to the Human world. Abilities Vampires have superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, senses, endurance, and healing factor. They are capable of single-handedly committing massacres in a short amount of time without any fatigue; the famous Box Tunnel Twenty Massacre, in which twenty train passengers were brutally killed by vampires John Mitchell and Daisy Hannigan-Spiteri, is a good example of a Vampire's capacity for destruction. (Damage) Vampires are also impervious to most forms of damage to the body, except for staking to the heart, severe mutilation and decapitation; Vampires have been shown to survive stabbing with wooden stakes (as long as the stake does not pierce their heart, although this still injures and immobilises Vampires), (The Last Broadcast) and according to Hal Yorke, shooting a Vampire through even the heart wouldn't so much as slow them down. (Being Human 1955) Vampires evolve and grow stronger with the passing of time, the older the Vampire, the stronger he/she tends to be. The ancient Mr. Snow was, for example, able to casually disembowel a human with one hand. (The War Child) Vampires can also sense whether a Werewolf is present purely by their smell (although some of them don't develop this sense until some time after recruitment, while others gain it within under seventeen hours). (Eve of the War, The Trinity) It would also appear that the original two Vampires possessed some form of premonition ability, as according to Regus, when these two Vampires drank blood for the first time after becoming Vampires, they had five dreams; at least one of which was a vision of the Vampire race's future. (Eve of the War) Like other supernatural beings, Vampires can also see Ghosts. Weaknesses Vampires can survive in sunlight, although they tend to stay covered up. John Mitchell was often seen in daylight wearing heavy coats and sunglasses, even when it was not necessary to wear such items. Vampires are repelled by religious symbols and writings, almost to the point of pain. These symbols can be of any religion; for example, both George Sands' Star of David and verses from the Christian Bible were both simultaneously capable of repelling Vampires. However, there are some means through which a Vampire is unrepelled by a religious symbol or can overcome the symbol's effect. According to Herrick, of the owner of a religious symbol feels affection for a Vampire, then that Vampire will be unaffected by the symbol. (Bad Moon Rising) It is also known that the more Vampires there are, the weaker the religious symbol's repelling effect on them altogether is, (Where The Wild Things Are) and that elder Vampires such as the Old Ones are unrepelled by religious symbols. Vampires can also use the bodies of beings, such as Humans, which aren't repelled by religious symbols as barriers against said symbols' repelling effect on them. (Hold the Front Page) Also, when Herrick temporarily forgot that he was a Vampire, he was unfazed by George Sands' Star of David. (Series 3) Vampires cannot enter a private residence unless they have been invited in; otherwise, crossing the threshold will severely burn and mutilate the Vampire and cause them extreme agony. (The War Child) However, after a Vampire reaches a certain age (such as 1,000 years old), they can enter a private building uninvited without being harmed. (The Wolf-Shaped Bullet) Vampires are also unable to walk on consecrated ground, such as a church or any other place of worship. (All God's Children) Although garlic does not pain a Vampire, the Vampire displays some degree of disgust for garlic, as Mitchell was shown to cringe away from the garlic in Anthony McNair's van. (The Pack) A Vampire can only be killed permanently by a wooden stake piercing through the heart. When this happens, Vampires experience a Human-like death which can include blood loss and organ failure, before turning to ash, leaving just their clothes behind. Vampires can also be killed by other means, such as severe injuries and mutilation (including decapitation and other forms of mutilation caused by a Werewolf attack, as well as obliteration by explosions), but unlike staking, Vampires can be resurrected from deaths by these causes. The blood of a Werewolf is extremely toxic to Vampires, burning their skin and bodily tissues like acid. Due to Werewolf blood's corrosive effects on Vampire's tissues, it can kill them if they ingest it or if the blood is projected directly into their faces, after which the Vampire's body turns to ash. (Eve of the War, The Greater Good, The Last Broadcast) Resurrection Vampires that have died by means other than staking can be resurrected if a sufficient amount of other Vampires' blood is allowed to drip onto their remains. This resurrection process also appears to regenerate the Vampire's corpse, as after Herrick was resurrected from being ripped apart by George Sands in the latter's wolf form, his body's severed parts had been rejoined, and his body was in perfect condition despite having been dead for several months. (All God's Children) After a Vampire has been resurrected, the will lose all memory of their former life and their Vampirism. (Series 3) It also appears that religious symbols do not affect Vampires in this amnesic state. However, if and when a Vampire feeds on enough Human blood after their resurrection, they will regain their lost memory and personality, and their killer instincts will return. (Though the Heavens Fall, The Wolf-Shaped Bullet) Post-mortem It is unclear if the spirits of deceased Vampires can become Ghosts; Werewolves have been shown to appear as Ghosts - albeit briefly after they have died - but Vampires seem to simply die after being staked, without any sign that something has passed on after their physical demise. Supernatural relationships Werewolves Vampires and Werewolves have been shown to have a very hostile relationship with each other, seemingly lasting millennia. Most of the time they have a contempt for each other. Even in relatively civil interactions, Werewolves are seen as dirty and unclean animals by Vampires, and as inferior creatures. Vampires also commonly insult Werewolves and call them dogs, and are known to physically and viciously attack Werewolves in streets and alleys merely for fun, and to use several other cruel and brutal forms of prejudice, attack, humiliation and injustice towards Werewolves, including the Dog Fights. The most likely reason for the hatred that Vampires have for Werewolves stems from that fact that although a Vampire is on average stronger than a Werewolf in the latter's Human form, a fully-transformed Werewolf's strength greatly exceeds that of a Vampire. However, on a few occasions, Werewolves have been subject to violence from Vampires. When George and Mitchell first met, George was being brutally attacked by some Vampires that Mitchell was forced to fight off. Some Vampires have even been known to kidnap Werewolves for 'dog fights' in which they are forced to fight each other or Humans in their wolf form. It is known that one major, organised conflict took place between Werewolves and Vampires in Europe from 1911 to 1918, until both sides called a ceasefire in order to find the source of this conflict and bring it to an end. Ghosts Vampires have a small amount of awe and fascination towards Ghosts. A Vampire curiously questions the Ghost of Annie Sawyer on what it is like being a Ghost and continues to politely ask her other questions. It may be the fact that Vampires are practically dead and so have a connection with the spirit world. Demons Vampires are aware of Demons and regard them and their half breed offspring with a level of awe and fear. This is most likely because their abilities are both powerful and unpredictable, and capable of influencing Vampires with little effort. Hal was terrified of the Succubus Yvonne Bradshaw and her abilities, even though she was unaware of her true nature, since her obsession-inducing power could have driven him to kill again. Demons are implied to regard Vampires and Werewolves as an indirect food source, as the Devil was known to feed on their strife and conflict. List of known Vampires *Mr. Snow (3000+, deceased) *Edgar Wyndham (1000 approx, deceased) *Other Old Ones (deceased) *Griffin (elder Vampire, deceased) *Jacob (elder Vampire, status unclear) *Hal Yorke (500) *Hetty (462 - 465) *Regus (400+) *Richard Turner (380+, status unclear) *Ivan (237, deceased) *Fergus (157+, deceased) *William Herrick (167, deceased) *John Mitchell (118, deceased) *Carl (110+) *Daisy Hannigan-Spiteri (90+, deceased) *Nick Cutler (80+, deceased) *Golda (70+, deceased) *Adam Jacobs (46) *Kane (deceased) *Cooper (deceased) *Vincent (deceased) *Graham *Lauren Drake (deceased) *Bernie *Cara (deceased) *Dewi Jenkins *Michaela Thompson *Ian "Crumb" Cram (deceased) *Alan (deceased) Category:Being Human BBC Category:Supernatural Beings Category:Species Category:Undead Category:Vampires Category:Type 2 Category:BBC Vampires